


Capax Infiniti

by TheDragonRider



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: (at least no one died ... this time), F/M, happy valentines!, please accept my fluf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 12:51:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6006718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonRider/pseuds/TheDragonRider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Capax Infiniti:</i> Holding Infinity</p><p><i>"Do you believe in infinity?" / "Perhaps."</i> In which Zeref and Mavis find their infinity, and hold onto it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Capax Infiniti

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Ari for this and her Dancer AU. This was supposed to be a drabble, but then it turned into a 3000 word oneshot.

_**In another world, as he cradles her against him, Zeref hopes he’s happy and she lives.** _

* * *

It’s five in the morning, Mavis’ head is going to kill her, she’s late, and she runs into a solid mass.

She raises her head to yell, or scream, or something, because what kind of creep is out at _five in the morning anyway_? – but the words die on the tip of her tongue as their gazes lock.

The man tilts his head to the side, black eyes glinting in the light from the lamp, and he grins. “You better watch out,” he says. “Someone as small as you may get hurt.”

She narrows her eyes, pivots on her heel, and marches away. She’ll probably never see him again.

 _(she pretends to ignore her heart hammering under her chest, pretends that she can’t still feel his warmth on her skin_. Attraction, _she thinks,_ is stupid. _)_

The next time she runs into the man, it’s almost a week later. She’s at the academy when he walks in with Teacher.

She trips, loses her balance – falls –

He catches her, and his skin burns against hers like a living fire. She pulls away immediately, and their eyes lock on one another’s.  

Lucy rests a hand on her hip, and her eyes dart between them. “Met each other before?” She asks, tilting her head. Mavis rubs the back of her neck and laughs.

“Unfortunately, yes.” She looks at the man – _fellow student?_ “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

He smirks, and she pretends that it doesn’t affect her. “Sorry to disappoint.”

It’s easier to pretend since he’s a smartass.

.

“I’m Zeref Dragneel,” he says at their lunch break two days later. He bites into an apple, and the juices run down his chin.

She sips at her tea and cups it with both hands. “My name is Mavis. Mavis Vermillion.”

.

“Mavis, come over here for a moment.” Teacher says, and Mavis looks up at her. Zeref hovers awkwardly by Lucy’s side, hands floating in the air as if he doesn’t know what to do with them.

She instantly distrusts the gleam in her eyes, but she complies nonetheless.

“Yes?”

“There’s a show coming up for the kids. The board wants two adult leads though, to act as the leaders-slash-mentors. You two up for the job?” She smiles slyly. “I think the chemistry between the both of you is perfect.”

She chokes. On air. Zeref looks at her strangely as she splutters.

“I’m game with it,” he says. She glares at him, but she nods anyway.

“Me too.”

She knows that scheming look from a mile away.

.

“What’s your favorite color?” He asks. She looks up from the notes she’s recopying and shrugs one shoulder.

“Black, I guess. Or blue. What’s yours?”

He grins. “Silver.”

.

He looks nervous as he holds a necklace up in front of her. She can see the way he’s swallowing.

“I saw this at a garage sale and thought of you. The woman said it’s a fairy.”

Her heart pounds as she takes it from him. Somehow, the way his hands feel clammy and sweaty makes her smile as she holds the little, dancing fairy in her palm.

“It looks like it has a tail.” She remarks, running her fingers over it. Her smile widens and she looks up at him. “Tell me, Zeref. Do you think fairies have tails?”

For a moment, he looks taken aback. Then he looks thoughtful. “I’m not sure. Maybe.”

She fumbles with the clasp.

“May I?

She studies him, and then she nods.

“Of course.”

His fingers are cool against the back of her neck as he brushes her hair out of the way. Goosebumps erupt on her flesh, right where his flesh touches hers.

“Maybe we can look at it like an adventure. Finding the answer to that, that is. The fairy. Tail. Thing. I mean.” She laughs, and he laughs with her.

“I’m usually more eloquent than this. You make me nervous.”

She turns when the chain drops and smiles at him, showing all her teeth.

“Don’t be. I’m just plain ol’ boring me.”

“You’re beautiful,” he says, and it does strange, _strange_ things to her heart. “And unique, and interesting. Talking to you makes me happy.”

.

His eyes are fixed on her as he moves slowly and encloses his fingers around hers. She steps up to him, ignoring the thumping of her heart and the heat in her cheeks as he pulls her under his arm.

They’re strong – his fingers –, thin and long. They feel like a pianist’s fingers.

“Would you like to go out on a date with me?” He says, and she looks at him. His pale cheeks turn red. “Uh. I mean. If you want to. I’m not pressuring you or anything. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have – ”

She giggles and taps his bicep, effectively silencing him. “It’s fine. I’d like to go out on a date with you.”

.

“EEEEEEEE!” Teacher Mode™ has officially switched into Fangirling Mode™. Lucy leaps at Mavis and grabs her bicep in a _ridiculously_ tight grip. “YES YES YES YES YES! FINALLY! NATSU AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SET YOU UP FOR MONTHS AND – AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! I’M SO HAPPY! AHAHAHAHAHAH! OUR HARD WORK FINALLY PAID OFF! You. Will. Not. Mess. This. Up.”

She glares.

Mavis tries to sink into the earth.

“It’s _shopping time.”_

.

Eight hours, twenty-seven minutes, and nine seconds of torture was worth it to see the look on his face the moment she opened her door.

.

“Wait, so _Natsu_ is your brother? _The one Lucy not-so-secretly likes?_ The one that _tried to eat my hand?_ ” The champagne makes her tongue looser than usual and her stomach is full on the _ridiculous good_ food she’s eaten. He grins.

“That’s the one.”

.

“Thanks for taking me out tonight.” She smiles at him as they walk up to her house. “It was fun.” She pauses. _Do girls ever ask guys out or … ?_ She’s never had experience dating someone. Not really. Her mother never explained anything to her and her dad died when she was eleven.

 _Oh, who cares? I’m not letting a perfectly nice guy go just on conventional society. Especially when I actually_ like _him._

“You know, are you free sometime soon? I’d like to grab a coffee with you.”

His grin told her she’d made the right choice.

“I’m free in three days.”

“Awesome!” She pressed her lips against his cheek, then she ran up the steps to her apartment before she could read his face.

.

“ _YOU’RE GOING OUT FOR COFFEE TOMORROW?_ ” Lucy whisper-shouts. Mavis whimpers as she sits deeper into the barstool.

“Yes, and I don’t know what to wear. Please help me, O Great One in Fashion.”

.

She squeezes his hand as they part ways. He kisses her cheek.

She stops pretending and decides to embrace it.

.

She calls him her boyfriend accidentally in class after the sixth date.

His hand begins to slip into hers after that, and his smiles become more and more common.

.

He tangles his fingers with hers and they laugh as they dance around the room to Taylor Swift’s _Shake It Off,_ jumping, pirouetting, waltzing, swinging, leaping, laughing, bending – It doesn’t look very professional or eloquent. It looks more like two teenagers just goofing off, and she likes that.

The song stops, but he studies her with that look in his eyes. She smiles at him.

“What?”

“Can I kiss you?”

She blinks, and blurts out the first thing that pops into her head - “Do you really need to ask?”

He grins and pulls her closer to him. She smiles too, cheeks warm.

His lips are surprisingly soft and taste like the chocolate they ate earlier.

.

They kiss a lot after that.

.

“You know, he really likes you. A lot.” Natsu says one day, out of the blue. She watches him as he tilts his head back to look at the sky. “You’re not going to hurt him, right? Because I’ll be obliged to set your clothes on fire and Lucy will be mad at me if I do that.”

She smiles. “You’re very protective of him, even though you’re the younger brother.”

He rolls his eyes. “Someone has to be. You’re avoiding my question.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of hurting him.” She drops her gaze. “I like him too much for that.”

She suspects she may _more than_ like him.

.

“Stop taking my hairclips!” She dodges out of Lucy’s way and makes a wild swipe for the clip. He laughs and holds it over his head, out of reach.

“Nope! Mine now!”

“Stop playing around, you two.” Lucy sounds exasperated. Amused, but exasperated. “Zeref, try to keep your hands to yourself for another half hour.”

“Sorry, Teacher.” They chime in unison.

.

“Hey, Zeref?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want children?”

He stops attempting to braid her hair, and she drops her hands into her lap.

“Eventually, when w-I’m older, yes.”

 _Was he going to say “we’re”?_ She closes her eyes, blocking out the park. Hugs herself.

“I – I can’t have children.” She whispers. She feels him tense. “T-There was a car accident. I was on my bike. Someone was texting … And some of the metal went into my stomach, from the car– The doctor said I was lucky to have survived.”

His arms wrap around her, pulling her into his chest, and he shakes against her back. Her blouse becomes damp, but she doesn’t care as she reaches back and gropes around blindly until she finds his hair.

“We’ll adopt,” he whispers eventually. “Or foster. Or something. There are more ways to have children than one.”

She turns around to wrap her arms around him, and he tightens his hold around her waist.

.

“Ow.”

 _“Ow?_ That’s all you say after falling from a high place like that? _Ow?_ ” Zeref flails his arms around as he hovers over her anxiously. She tries to flex her ankle and winces. “You idiot.” He rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head, and then he kneels down and flexes her ankle. She hisses.

“Looks like you may need to see a doctor, Mavis.” Lucy hovers, chewing her fingernails. Natsu watches. “It looks like it may be bad.”

She tries to smile. “That may be a good idea.”

Zeref scoops her up. Frowns down at her.

“You’re _really_ heavy for such a tiny person, you know that right?”

She hits the front of his chest.

.

She pulls away from him and sits crisscross applesauce. He copies her.

“Okay. We’ve been Officially Dating for six months.”

“I really _am_ sorry for forgetting about it last week – ” She raises her hand threateningly, and he yelps. “Pleaseforgiveme!”

She rolls her eyes. “Stop joking around, _darling._ I wasn’t angry at you anyway.”

“Says the girl who slugged me.” She narrows her eyes at him and he holds his hands up.

“In my defense, I was half asleep _and_ you startled me. Anyway. We have been Officially Dating for six months and … Boundaries.”

He looks a little scared, a little nervous, mostly serious, and very uncomfortable. She tucks her hands underneath her.

“Um. Uh. Err. Ugh.”

He smiles. “I think we should start with sex. That’s the biggest one, right?”

“Err, right.” She straightens her back, squares her shoulders.

“You look like you’re preparing for battle.”

“Shut up, Zeref. I’m _marching into war_ here.”

“Trying to lighten the mood here.”

She gives him the stink-eye before clearing her throat. “Right. Sex.” He coughs, and she suspects he’s covering a laugh. _So serious._

“I’m Catholic,” he says. “Well, sometimes.” He rubs the back of his neck, and she files that statement away for future examination. “I know this is old fashioned, but I really think we should wait until marriage. I believe that sex is something that is sacred and it should be _kept_ that way. I know it doesn’t make sense, and it sounds really naïve but … I don’t know how else to explain it.”

She tilts her head. “I think I understand, sort of. I’m not really religious, but I do believe that sex should be special. Maybe not for the one person only kind of thing, but I respect that’s what you want.” She smiles. “I only go to Church on Easter.”

He laughs slightly, ducks his head. “Maybe we should make that a date sometime.”

“But, uh. What do we do if … hormones …” She gestures weakly. “Your body. Does things to mine. Sometimes. _We’re dancers_.”

He tilts his head. “Well, I guess that means no living with each other unless we get married. Probably should avoid really private areas too.”

“That makes sense.”

He lounges back and smirks at her. “Now, Miss Vermillion, what is this about my body and hormones?”

He deserves the pillow in the face for that comment.

.

Before she falls asleep that night, she wonders if love is when you let someone into your life though you don’t really _need_ the other person. She thinks it’s not about needing someone, or gooey words and flowers, or all that “I’m going to fix you” stuff on the radio.

She realizes it’s about letting someone into your life, letting him see you for all your flaws and strengths, and allowing him to make you stronger and better – but still yourself as well. It’s not about changing a person, or not being able to live without him. That was just unhealthy.

It’s about trust, and honesty, and perseverance. It’s small and subtle, and it doesn’t burn all the time, and sometimes it may go out, but it’s about mutual acceptance and deciding that _this is the one I want_ and _I don’t need anybody else._

She’s about ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent sure she’s in love with Zeref, if that is what love is.

The thought isn’t as scary as it may have been six months ago.  

.

He pulls her into him and dips their bodies to the ground. She closes her eyes and relaxes into his arms as he cradles her against his chest.

The audience applauds.

.

It slips out one day, when she’s talking to him on the phone.

_“Okay, you need pasta sauce, right? What brand?”_

“Just the regular generic brand from the store,” she says. Lucy stifles a giggle.

“ _The … but there’s got to be at least five different brands!_ ”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She drawls, smiling at the spluttering sounds from his end of the line. “You’re smart like that, dear. Thank you. Love you. Bye.” She swipes the red button across the screen, canceling the call.

Then she freezes.

_Thank you. Love you. Bye._

_Love you. Bye._

_Love you._

Oh, _crap._

Lucy looks like the cat who just ate a canary.

.

Her phone rings two seconds later. She picks it up.

 _“Mavis, I love you too but I really, really don’t know which one’s the generic brand. I don’t think it’s here. Can I just pick up any of them?_ ”

She smiles. “Sure. Just pick the one with the lowest unit price, okay?”

_“’kay. Bye.”_

“Bye.”

Lucy stares at her. She rolls her eyes.

“I know, I know. Details.”

.

Several months pass. Summer turns into autumn, autumn into winter, and Spring (finally) arrives in late May.

She’s busy washing the dishes when he tosses her the ring and says, “I’m pretty sure we’re not going to kill each other at this point and I really like you.”

The ring falls down the sink and they have to turn off the water and dismantle the pipes to get it out again.

(“Well, at least I didn’t set the house on fire.”

“ _What kind of proposal is that anyway?_ You were way more romantic on our first date!”

“I’ve technically proposed to you at least three times already—”

“Ugh! You’re worse than your brother sometimes, I swear! How do you go from so sweet to so … _annoying_ in a heartbeat? Like _that?_ ”)

.

The wedding is a quiet affair with their closest friends. The flowers woven in her hair wilt by the end, but she’s happier than she’s ever been in her life.

Cana gets drunk, Natsu nearly rips Gray’s head off his shoulders, Erza nearly kills them for ruining the wedding, and Lucy looks increasingly tipsy as the night progresses.

Mavis can’t stop giggling, even when her lavender gown ends up soiled and Zeref is inevitably drawn into the fighting.  

(It’s past 2 AM when they get back into _Their Home_ and they end up crashing on the bed and sleeping until noon.)

.

She’s making scrambled eggs when Zeref walks in, spins her around, and kisses her. His fingers run through hair loose braid and undoes it. She fumbles with the knob to turn off the stove for about a minute before she yanks down on the undershirt of his suite and drags him along behind her back to their bed.

They don’t emerge until well past dinnertime.

* * *

_“Zeref?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_She looks at the night sky and breathes in deeply. “Do you believe in other worlds?”_

_“Perhaps.” He smiles. “Mavis?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Do you believe in infinity?”_

_She tilts her head and looks at him. There’s a smile on her lips._

_“Perhaps.”_

 

 **{** Spin around and round for hours  
**You** and _**me**_ , we got the world in our hands **}**


End file.
